Interview: China's development experience inspires other developing nations: Thai scholar

BANGKOK, March 18 (Xinhua) -- China's development experience in poverty reduction and technological progress in particular inspires other developing countries, said a Thai scholar.

Aksornsri Phanishsarn, associate professor of the Faculty of Economics at Thammasat University, said China, by implementing targeted poverty reduction measures, instead of one-size-fits-all approach, has improved the livelihood and incomes of its poor population and achieved the goal of eradicating extreme poverty.

In an interview with Xinhua, Aksornsri summarized China's keys in such success as wise leadership and detailed directions, data-based governance system, as well as financial input and coordinated allocation of resources nationwide.

China's targeted poverty reduction measures will be helpful to other developing countries, she said, adding that Thailand values China's development experience and hopes that the targeted poverty-reduction policies would help Thailand support those living under the poverty line and address the widening gap between the rich and poor.

Aksornsri said China has increased financial input in scientific and technological sectors, and yielded substantial results in innovation-driven development and technological progress, especially in the fields of 5G, artificial intelligence as well as aerospace science and technology, among other frontier fields.

China's spending on research and development (R&D) hit a new high of 2.44 percent of its gross domestic product (GDP) in 2021, up 0.03 percentage points from the previous year, China's official data showed.

China's total expenditure on R&D amounted to about 2.79 trillion yuan (about 441.13 billion U.S. dollars) last year, up 14.2 percent year on year, a report released by the National Bureau of Statistics said.

"We are happy to see that Thailand and China are expanding cooperation in the scientific and technological sectors," she said.

She praised China's role in helping address complex challenges facing the world, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the Ukraine crisis, saying that China's efforts in urging relevant parties to resolve conflicts through negotiation and cooperation are admirable.

She expected China to continue to play a constructive role in pushing forward the building of an international community with a shared future and closer cooperation for common development.